


Canonverse Ereri Week

by Gootbuttheichou



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Era, Ereri Canonverse Week, Ereri Canonverse Week 2015, M/M, canonverse ereri week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-08
Updated: 2015-09-13
Packaged: 2018-04-19 16:43:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4753556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gootbuttheichou/pseuds/Gootbuttheichou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For Canonverse Levi/Eren Week 2015</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Impressions

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to the wonderful [Hannah](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Riren_Love/pseuds/Riren_Love) for being my beta for this. Otherwise, this chapter would have been short, dry, and boring. 
> 
> violence tag just in case.

“I still don’t know what the hell is going on,” Levi mutters as the Military Police stationed at the door part to let him and Erwin through. If Erwin was the type of person to sigh, he would be now.

“You were the one who saw it first hand, Levi. You saw a soldier emerge from the nape of a Titan. We’re here to see where his allegiance lies.”

“And what do _you_ think of this whole situation?” Levi asks, his gaze flicking to his right as they descend the stairs down into the dungeon. This time, Erwin shrugs.

“I think that whatever information Eren Jaeger holds is valuable to humanity. We already know his father supposedly had something of importance down in the basement in Shiganshina. We know that Eren managed to kill a number of Titans when he was one himself.” Erwin spares a glance at the Captain as they reach the foot of the stairs. “Personally, I don’t want to see the Military Police gain custody of him.”

Levi merely clicks his tongue against his teeth to let Erwin know he heard him, and his scowl deepens when they arrive to their destination. He doesn’t even bother to nod his head in respect to the Military Police guarding the cell, and he’s irritated, to say the least, that he has to lean against the wall while Erwin gets to sit in a chair.

_And I just washed this jacket, too._ He sighs at the thought of grime accumulating on top of the dirt that’s currently settling on his jacket until the next laundry day. Fortunately, he doesn’t have to wait long until the kid starts from his deep sleep, clearly dazed and confused about his whereabouts.

“H-huh?” Eren gasps, and Levi glances at him out of the corners of his eyes as he watches the kid blink away the rheum build-up from his sleep.

“Any questions?” Erwin asks. The kid’s gaze clears up as he focuses on the Commander, his eyes widening slightly as they flick to Levi. The Captain looks away just before their eyes can meet.

“Um… Where… Am I?” the kid asks, his quavering voice cracking from the sleep, his confusion apparent in it. Levi wrinkles his nose at the sudden thought of when the kid last bathed- certainly not after emerging from a Titan.

“As you can see,” Erwin starts as he glances to the Military Police, “Let’s just say you’re in a dungeon. At the moment, you’re in Military Police custody. They finally gave us permission to speak with you just a minute ago.” Eren blinks again, his mouth hanging open in disbelief as he glances at the cuffs around his wrists that are keeping him tied to the wall. His attention is brought back to them when Erwin holds up his key.

“Oh, that key…!”

“Yes, it’s yours. I’ll return it to you later.” Eren’s shoulders relax at that, and Erwin continues speaking. “Doctor Jaeger’s basement, in your home in Shiganshina- a secret surrounding the Titans is there, correct?”

Eren looks taken aback for a second, but then he nods. “Yes, I believe so. That’s what my father said.”

Levi’s incredulity of the whole situation finally bubbles over. “You lost your memory, and your old man’s gone missing… Pretty convenient story if you ask me,” he murmurs dryly. Erwin immediately shoots him a look of disapproval.

“Levi. We’ve already concluded that he has no reason to lie. You know that.” The Captain gives the smallest shrug of his shoulders as Erwin focuses his attention back on Eren. “There is still so little we know, but for now, I feel the most important thing is to ask you about your intentions.”

Once again, Eren looks taken aback. “ _My_ intentions?”

“If we want to check out your home, we'll need to take back Shiganshina District along with Wall Maria. Sealing the damaged gate there would be the best way to accomplish that- which means we'll need your Titan ability. Naturally, it's a Titan that will determine our fate. The Colossal Titan and the Armored Titan most likely work the same way as you do. Your intentions hold the key- the key to saving humanity from this despair.”

Eren leans forward as he tries to comprehend the gravity of the situation that’s just been placed on his shoulders. “M-me…?”

Levi grits his teeth as the kid appears to get lost in his own thoughts. “Come on, it’s an easy question, so answer it. What do you want to do?”

Eren’s shoulders are shaking as he lifts his head up, this time his green eyes ablaze with determination and a semi-crazed grin painting his face. “I want to join the Survey Corps and slaughter every Titan I can!” he growls with conviction, and Levi will admit, he’s impressed. He’s never seen that much gumption in a soldier before.

It almost reminds him of Isabel. He can feel his eyes widen the tiniest bit with intrigue, and he straightens his back and relaxes his shoulders.

“Oh… not bad.” He holds Eren’s gaze for a second before he pushes himself off the wall, causing the Commander to turn his head as he speaks. “Erwin, I’ll take responsibility for him.” He grips the bars of the cell to pin Eren with his stare. “Let the brass know. It’s not that I implicitly trust him, of course. It’s more a matter of me trusting myself. I’ll kill him if I have to. If he betrays us or goes out of control, he’ll die on the spot.” Eren flinches at that, but Levi continues talking. “The top brass won’t complain, because I’m the only one cut out for this. No one’s better suited for this job.” He considers Eren for another second, then speaks again.

“You’re in. I’ll make you a member of the Survey Corps.”

Eren blinks up at him in awe as Levi pushes himself away from the iron bars, keeping his gaze steady on the new recruit as Erwin pushes himself out of his chair.

“Well then, that’s that. Unfortunately, Eren, you’re still to be kept in Military Police custody. Hang in there just a little while longer. We’ll find some way to settle this.” Erwin observes the teen for a moment before he speaks again. “Until then.”

With that, Erwin starts to the staircase, and Levi glances once more at Eren before he follows the Commander up the stairs. When they finally step back out into the sunlight, Levi squints as his eyes readjust, then he lets out a deep sigh. “There’s going to be a military tribunal, isn’t there?”

“That’s my thought. Or at least, there’s a high probability that it will take place. I hope so, at least.” Erwin frowns to himself. “If it does happen, we need to convince Zackly that Eren will be a benefit to humanity, rather than a threat. I’d like to see him stay alive and join the Survey Corps, rather than be killed by the Military Police.” Levi gives a hum of affirmation, arching a brow when Erwin looks at him. “Pixis requested a meeting with me tomorrow. I have a feeling that he wants to discuss Eren’s fate, but I can’t fully formulate a plan until I know a tribunal will take place.”

Realization dawns upon Levi, and he rolls his eyes with another sigh. “I take it you’re going to ask me to step in if it’s needed.”

“Precisely. Like you said back down there, you’re the only one capable of handling Eren if he does go rogue. I’ll need you to personally remind everyone of that if the tribunal takes place.”

As they enter into the street, Levi looks up at the sky to see a lone bird flying, and he inhales deeply, only to find that the air still reeks of being confined within the walls.  
He knows that any hope of getting out of these walls would at least be on his side if Eren joined the Survey Corps.

“Alright then. I’ll do what’s needed at the tribunal.”

  
\---

  
Four days later, Levi is standing on the left side of the courtroom, next to the Garrison Regiment, Zackly’s stand, and across from the Military Police, Wallists, and civilians. Eren is brought in with cuffs around his wrists and Military Police soldiers flanking him on each side, and he’s ordered to kneel in the center of the courtroom. When Zackly enters the room and sits down at his stand, everybody comes to attention.

“Shall we begin, then?” He pulls some papers out of his briefcase and adjusts his glasses. “You are Eren Jaeger, a soldier who has sworn to give his life for the people. Is this correct?”

“Yes, Sir,” Eren answers.

“Given the exceptional circumstances, this hearing will be a military tribunal where ordinary laws do not apply. I’ve been given the authority to make all judgments. This examination will determine whether you live or die. Any objections?”

Levi watches as Eren lowers his head in submission. “No, Sir.”

“You catch on quickly,” Zackly observes. “That will be helpful.” He clears his throat before he starts speaking again. “Let me get right to the point. It was impossible to conceal your existence, after all. Unless we officially announce your existence one way or the other, a threat other than Titans may develop. I will decide which regiment’s custody to place you in- the Military Police, or the Survey Corps. Now, let me hear the proposal from the Military Police.”

Levi listens intently as Nile gives his proposal, and his scowl deepens when Pastor Nick of the Wallist cult demands that Eren be killed immediately. He’s never cared for the absurd religion, and he definitely does not think highly of their opinion on the matter now.

Next, it’s Erwin’s turn to give the proposal of the Survey Corps, and Levi’s irritation only grows further when a merchant declares that they should just reinforce all the gates. Civilians start to debate in the courtroom, and finally Levi cuts in.

“You sure talk a lot for a fat pig. What guarantee do we have that the Titans will wait for us while we seal and reinforce the gates? When you say ‘we’, you’re talking about the friends you’re protecting so you can get fat. You pigs don’t even notice the people who are struggling to eat because there isn’t enough land.”

The merchant tries to protest, but Pastor Nick chides him for being sacrilegious and trying to defile the gifts from God. Before Levi can scold them again, Zackly intervenes and calls them to order.

“Jaeger. Can you, as a soldier, continue to help humankind by using your Titan powers?”

“Yes, Sir, I can!” Eren declares with vigor.

“Oh?” With furrowed brows, Zackly mentions that the report indicates that Eren swung his fist at Cadet Ackerman after turning into a Titan, and Eren gasps in surprise as he looks over to Levi’s side of the courtroom. The name is familiar, so Levi leans forward to see the cadet girl next to Squad Leader Brzenska try to cover a large cut on her cheek. When Zackly addresses her about it, she deflects to explain that prior to the accident, Eren saved her life twice while he was in Titan form, and Levi is aware of the cannonball incident.

He’s surprised to learn that Eren and the Ackerman girl killed three grown men when they were both nine years old, but he’s also impressed. It reminds him of all the times he protected Isabel and had to defend themselves from the perverts in the Underground, but the civilians take the news for the worst, claiming that the Ackerman girl may even be a Titan.

At this point, Eren cuts in to defend the girl, and his outburst clearly startles everyone.

“No… That’s not true… You people… You’re carrying on using whatever excuse is convenient for you!” Levi can tell Nile and Pastor Nick are taken aback by this, but Eren continues on. “In the first place, you people… you’ve never even seen a Titan before, so what are you so afraid of?” There’s a second where he pauses, but then the kid’s brows furrow together with conviction.

“What is going to happen if people who have the power don’t fight? If you’re afraid to fight to go on living, then at least help me, you… you cowards! Why can’t you just shut up and take a chance on me!?”

Even though he’s impressed with the amount of balls this ardent kid has to call the Military Police out on their shit, Levi knows he has to act quickly, and he barely even has to glance and nod at Erwin when Nile orders a soldier to take aim. In just a matter of seconds, he hops over the bar and strides quickly to the teen, silencing the courtroom by delivering a powerful kick to the teen’s jaw, immediately sending a tooth flying. Eren glances in confusion up at him before Levi delivers another kick to his stomach, shoving him up roughly by his hair and shirt collar before he knees him in the face. He counts seven more kicks, leaving the kid coughing up blood before Levi shoves his face into the ground with the heel of his boot.

“You know, my personal philosophy is that pain is the best tool for teaching discipline. You don’t need a good talking to- what you’re in need of is to be taught a lesson. And you happen to be in perfect kicking position.” He delivers several more kicks before Nile interjects.

“Wait, Levi-”

“What is it?” Levi retorts, dropping his boot from Eren’s face as he turns to look at Nile.

“... It’s dangerous. What if he gets mad and turns into a Titan?”

Levi delivers another kick. “Don’t be silly. What are you so worried about?” he asks before he bends down to lift Eren up by his hair. “After all, you guys just want to dissect him, don’t you?” He stands back up, and Nile blinks at him. “When he was transformed, he apparently managed to kill twenty Titans before running out of strength. As an enemy, his intelligence makes him all the more dangerous. But then again, he’s not _my_ enemy. I could take him down without a problem. How many of you can say the same? Before you torment the beast, you better think long and hard- can _you_ actually kill him?”

Erwin presents the proposal of putting Eren under Levi’s supervision to see if he’s a benefit to humankind, asking Zackly to make his decision once the results are in.  
“Control Eren Jaeger… Can you do it, Levi?”

“If you mean, ‘can I kill him’? Certainly. The thing is, though, that there are no halfway measures.”

Zackley ponders Levi’s answer for a moment, then hums. “Then I’ve made my decision.”

\---

Once the verdict is given and the court dismissed, Levi notices Hange and Mike leave their perch from the top balcony as two Military Police come to unshackle Eren. Levi spares the new recruit a passing glance before he turns on his heels, pulling a handkerchief out of his breast pocket and wiping his hands as he meets Erwin by the door.

“We’ll wait here for them before we escort him to a room.” Erwin’s expression is sober as he looks at Levi. “Thank you. You proved to be very helpful.”

Levi just shrugs, his scowl deepening as he tries to rub Eren’s blood, spittle, snot, sweat and tears off his hands. “Don’t mention it,” he says dismissively.

It’s not just his hands that feel dirty- his stomach churns at the thought of having beat the near living shit out of a kid who just had the weight of the world thrown onto his shoulders, so he pockets the handkerchief. Hange offers a smile to Erwin and Levi when they reach the doorway, and Mike sniffs knowingly at the Commander, the two of them communicating silently as they’re so often prone to do with each other.

When the Military Police bring a panting, bloodied Eren to them, Hange smiles down at the teen. “Hello again, Eren! So glad you could join us. Come on, let’s go tend to those wounds and talk a bit!”

Erwin and Hange lead the way to an office, and Levi trails behind Eren, keeping his eyes trained carefully on the boy, the way he’s gingerly holding his abdomen. When the door closes behind them, Hange ushers Eren to sit on a couch, immediately opening up an emergency medical kit to start dressing Eren’s wounds as Erwin and Levi settle back against a wall and Mike goes to gaze out the window.

“Man, talk about harsh,” Hange mutters to themself as they finish dabbing the ointment infused cotton-ball along Eren’s cuts. “Does it hurt?

“A little,” Eren winces as he holds a handkerchief to his cheek. Hange immediately lights up.

“Yeah? How exactly does it hurt?”

Eren gawks at the question, but Erwin clears his throat and pushes himself off the wall. “Sorry about that. But the theatrics _did_ get you placed in our custody.”

“I understand, Sir,” Eren says, the awe still apparent in his eyes as he blinks up at the Commander.

“I assure you the pain was worth it. It let us play our trump card at the perfect time.” Levi scowls at the floor at that. He knows he’s a pawn in Erwin’s elaborate game- everyone is- but he’s his right hand man, meaning _he_ does the dirty work for Erwin. He knows that Mike once held the position, and Levi is disgruntled sometimes that Erwin’s lover didn’t keep the role, that it was passed on to _him_.

Being Humanity’s Strongest has never been all that it’s cut out to be.

“You have my utmost respect,” Erwin says as he holds out his hand, and Eren gawks at it. “I look forward to working with you, Eren,” the Commander continues, and Levi pushes himself off the wall with an irritated huff. There’s no way that he’s going to let Erwin play the nice guy when Levi hasn’t even apologized on his own behalf yet.

“R-right, me too, Sir! Thank you, Sir!” Eren blurts out, but he immediately cringes when Levi sits down on the couch next to him.

_That won’t do at all_ , Levi thinks miserably to himself. If Eren’s going to be under his command, he needs to be able to trust him, not shy away every time he sees him.

“So, Eren,” Levi starts, and the teen gulps nervously beside him.

“Y-yes, Sir?”

Levi pauses for just the tiniest of seconds, and then he fixes Eren with an earnest stare. “Do you resent me?”

He watches Eren’s reaction carefully, but then understanding flashes in his green eyes, and the teen relaxes as he hugs his arms around himself. “No, Sir. I understand that it was a necessary performance.”

Levi still watches the teen, but relief washes over him as he sighs. “That’s good.”

“Still, you didn’t have to go so far. You knocked his tooth out!” Hange exclaims as they show Eren the tooth, and Levi scowls.

“That’s disgusting. Eren, be thankful you aren’t getting dissected by people like Hange.”

“Don’t you dare compare me with them,” Hange warns their comrade. “I would never even dream of killing Eren. Hey, Eren! Let me take a look inside that mouth of yours!” Levi watches as Eren looks disgruntled by the request, but the teen obeys and opens his mouth to show Hange the now empty spot his tooth used to occupy.

Except Hange’s face drops in disbelief.. “The tooth… has already grown back…”


	2. Cleaning Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again, thanks to [Hannah](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Riren_Love/pseuds/Riren_Love) for the help on this chapter
> 
> setting: sometime in the future, not in a current manga chapter. The 104th kids are aged up to about 18 now so it's not underage
> 
> Warning for Levi's mild OCD

“I always hate relocating to new places,” Levi mutters sourly as he brings his horse to a stop and starts to dismount her. He hears Eren chuckle to the left of him, always amused when Levi mounts and dismounts his horse, and he shoots the soldier a glare as the younger man dismounts his own horse with more ease due to his height.

“You mean to say that traveling for hours on end isn’t fun?” Eren says with a playful grin, and Levi shakes his head in response as they start to tie their horses to the hitching post.

“Not that it’s a pleasant experience either, but…” Levi falls silent as his eyes sweep over the cottage, and he’s pulled out of his reverie when a strong hand clasps his shoulder gently.

“I know what you mean, Sir,” Eren says, and Levi stares up into the brunet’s warm eyes before he looks to the cottage again with a sigh. Despite the intel provided for their new location, Levi still isn’t sure just how long this place has been in disuse, who last occupied it, how they maintained the place… The uncertainty of it all is what unsettles him the most. He doesn’t know how much he’ll have to prepare himself for what he’s about to behold, and that’s what he hates about relocating the most.

“Come on, Levi,” Eren says as he makes a bold move and threads their hands together with a gentle squeeze. “Let’s go in together and see for ourselves, yeah? That way we’ll have a headstart on the slowpokes behind us.”

Levi nods in acknowledgement, and Eren squeezes his hand before he lets go so they can walk up to the cottage together.

“It seems like it’s a good size. We should all fit in there without too many problems,” Eren muses aloud as they stride up the dirt path together. “And from the outside, it looks like it was kept in good condition. Should keep us warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and dry in the rain.”

“ _If_ we stay that long,” Levi mutters as he withdraws the key from his pocket. He struggles with the lock until the bolts finally give with a sliding click- perhaps they’ll have to oil it. “I’d still want to walk around the perimeter and check all the walls, windows, and the roof as a precaution.”

“Of course, Captain,” Eren says as the knob finally gives for Levi, and the hinges creak as the door slowly swings forward to reveal a kitchen. Levi immediately wrinkles his nose at the thick layers of dust coating every surface, a knot forming in his gut and his skin crawling at the thought of how long this place has gone by without a proper cleaning-

“Captain,” Eren calls out softly, and Levi remembers to breathe again as the younger soldier peers at him carefully. “It’s okay. We’ll clean it up, yeah?”

Levi stares at him before he nods and swallows thickly. “Come on, we need to instruct the others on what to do.” He turns on his heel to walk back down the dirt path where the rest of his squad has finally arrived with their supply cart.

“Listen up,” he calls out to his soldiers. “You know the drill. The damn thing hasn’t had a good dusting in _at least_ months, so until the whole place is clean enough for linens, food and cutlery, we won’t unpack those. Understood?”

“Sir!” His soldiers salute.

“Good. Eren, you’ll be in charge of dusting all the windows and doors off and opening them. If you need to oil them, you know where it is. Jean, you’re in charge of sweeping and then mopping all the floors. Connie, you’re in charge of the kitchen and pantry. Armin, the dining room and cellar. Mikasa, the living room. Sasha, I want you to check all the fireplaces and the well. If you need help with firewood and somebody can break away from their task, get them to help you. Marlowe, you’re in charge of the stable and tack room. I’ll be in charge of cleaning the bedrooms. Understood?”

“Yes, Sir!” his soldiers exclaim again, and they all start to grab the dust and mop rags and brooms and buckets they’ll need from the cart. Levi’s the last to grab the supplies he’ll need, watching each soldier carefully to make sure they grab the proper equipment, and when he finally has the necessary tools, he turns to look at the cottage, steeling himself with a sigh before he trudges back in.

He does his best to ignore the way dust flies up with every step he takes as he walks through the kitchen, into the hallway, through the living room and up the stairs, hearing the flurry of activity downstairs as Sasha gets the well to work and starts checking the fireplaces and Eren starts with the doors and windows and Jean sweeps the floors. He hears murmurs of dissent between some of the soldiers, then hears Eren and some of the others gripe at the complainers to shut up, they know why they have to do this. Levi knows that these complaints are no longer whole hearted, but that still doesn’t stop the mild pang of guilt that rakes through his chest, the annoyance at himself of why he _can’t_ just be okay with some dust.

He tries to push these thoughts out of his head as well as he finally makes it to the top of the stairs, surveying the five doors that lead off the corridor, and a thin frown settles on his face as he opens the first door on his right. It has four bunk beds, a washbasin, a dresser, a closet, a bookcase, a window, a full length mirror, a table, and two chairs. The room on the other side of the hallway houses the same items, for which Levi is grateful.

“Good. Enough beds and storage space for all of them, and if we have visiting squads,” Levi mutters to himself. “I’ll let the men squabble with the women over what room they want.” The rooms next to it has one single sized bed, a nightstand, and a washbasin, and the corresponding room on the other side of the hallway holds the same things.

“Perfect for if Hange and Erwin come to visit at the same time,” Levi muses, and then he moves to open the door at the end of the hallway. The room has one bed, a nightstand, a dresser, a bookshelf, a washbasin, a full length mirror, a table, and two chairs.

“... It’s perfect,” Levi murmurs to himself, eying the bed that’s big enough for two, and he finally shakes himself out of his thoughts as he turns his head over his shoulder to sigh at the sight of all the rooms that are to be cleaned. He steels himself with a deep breath before he goes to work on the first room he came upon.

He’s done with the fourth room when he hears someone come up the stairs, and he’s proud of himself to be able to distinguish that those aren’t Jean’s footsteps coming up to sweep the floors, especially when warm, familiar arms slide gently around his torso.

“Hello, Levi,” Eren whispers with a smile in his voice, inhaling deeply as he nuzzles the fine black hair poking out from under Levi’s bandana.

“I’m dusty as hell,” Levi reminds him, but he makes no effort to pull away from Eren, instead settling back comfortably against his chest with a tired sigh. Truth be told, he’s learned to relax whenever Eren appears when cleaning, to take it easy for a bit and just _breathe_ again, ignoring the way his skin crawls and the anxious knot in his stomach becoming more bearable. Eren’s presence is like a reassurance that no matter how dirty things are, it’s manageable, it’ll be cleaned eventually, and Levi’s annoying anxiety will soon ebb away a bit.

“Well, you’re still perfect to me,” Eren murmurs into his hair, and Levi’s chest constricts at the words. He still can’t understand how Eren can just say these things in a manner that seems so easy, calm, cool and collected, like it was nothing.

But he knows it’s not nothing to Eren, because Eren does mean them whole-heartedly, and he had been nervous to be so open with Levi when they had been on the first stepping stones of their relationship.

Even so, Levi doesn’t think he’ll _ever_ be over Eren saying such things to him, no matter how much time passes.

And he absolutely _loves_ it.

“And are you telling me you haven’t accumulated any dust from working on the windows and doors?” Levi manages, and he can feel Eren chuckle into his hair before he peels himself away from Levi gently.

“No, I’m sure some is clinging to me. But at least all the windows and doors downstairs are dusted and opened.”

“Any trouble opening them?” Levi asks, already missing Eren’s warmth from his embrace.

“A bit, yeah. I oiled them all, though, so they should work from here on out.” Eren smiles at Levi, and the Captain swallows before he takes his hand.

“Follow me, I’ll show you around.”

“Ooh, my own personal tour guide,” Eren chuckles with a playful grin, and Levi snorts as he leads Eren to the hallway to look into the first two bedrooms.

“A room for the girls, and a room for you and the other men,” Levi explains. “I’ll let you all squabble over who wants what room.”

“I want whichever one will be closer to you,” Eren says, and though Levi knows he’s joking and being playful, he still raises an incredulous brow. “And what if a guy wants to spend the night in the girl’s room?” he asks teasingly, though with a twinge of curiosity, and Levi sighs.

“The same rules still apply. As long as they don’t disrupt anyone else trying to sleep and they’re _safe_ about it.”

“And what if a certain soldier wanted to spend every night with his Captain?” Eren asks lowly, his eyes twinkling and his bottom lip sliding in between his teeth playfully. Levi has to swallow before he can save face.

“Well, one of these two rooms are for if you didn’t want to spend a night with him,” he says before he guides Eren past the rooms he’d been working on. “Though these will primarily be for Hange and Erwin if they come to visit,” he explains before he leads Eren into the room at the end of the hallway. “And this will be mine,” he says quietly, not watching Eren as he hears the brunet exhale slowly.

“...It’s perfect,” he mutters reverently, and Levi looks up when Eren turns to grin at him.

“I said the same thing myself,” Levi replies, and Eren’s smile grows wider with mirth.

“Well, you know the saying. Great minds think alike.” Before Levi can protest with a snort, he’s pulled up into a gentle kiss, Eren’s lips warm and caring against his.

Finally, Levi has to break away before he can combust with Eren’s tenderness, and he scowls at his lover.

“Come on now, I didn’t say we were done cleaning. There are windows and doors up here, too, and I still have to clean this room.”

“I know,” Eren says with a small smile before he pecks Levi on the lips again. “Only this time, I get to clean _with_ you.”

Levi bites the inside of his cheek at that, then ruffles Eren’s hair. “As long as you don’t distract me until we’re done.”

“Of course, Levi.”


	3. The Levi Squad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> setting: after Sawney and Bean's murder but before Eren's Titan experiments began, and then after the expedition

“So, Eren, how are you enjoying the Survey Corps so far?”

Eren looks up from his soup with his mouth open smartly and his spoon hanging in midair, and he glances around the table at his squad mates before he blushes and sets the utensil back down and clears his throat to answer Petra.

“Ah, well, I mean… it’s not quite what I expected, to be honest,” he answers truthfully. He certainly hadn’t expected to join the Survey Corps by being some kind of monster, and he hadn’t expected his second day of being a soldier in the regiment to find out that someone had deliberately murdered two captured Titans. Besides, the only soldiers he’s met so far is Levi- short, intimidating, apparently a former thug who is a stickler for the rules, and a fastidious cleaner; Erwin, whose mind seems to be several steps ahead of everyone else, the gears always turning as he’s thinking, and who had asked him a weird question today; Mike, who is quiet and likes to sniff people; Hange, who talks as fast as they think about Titans; and his new squad mates; Oluo seems to imitate Captain Levi poorly, and seems prone to biting his tongue, but the rest of his team mates seem normal.

Then again, Eren should have known that normal people aren’t usually inclined to join the Survey Corps; he’d been the only one in the Cadet Corps with his heart set on joining. Mikasa and Armin had only wanted to join to be with him.

But he’s not even sure who will join the Cadet Corps, now; not after actually seeing what havoc Titans can wreak- besides, they’d only have a month in the Survey Corps before they went out on their first expedition. He knows he’ll find out after the induction ceremony.

At least everyone has a choice on whether or not to join. In the end, Eren didn’t.

“Oh? And how do you mean, Eren?” Eld asks, and Eren turns to look at him, trying to ignore the way his Captain stares at him like he’s almost bored.

“Well, I’ve always wanted to join the Survey Corps, ever since I was a little kid,” Eren explains, smiling fondly at the memory. “My mom was against it, but every time they came through Shiganshina to go on an expedition, I would make it to the front gates and watch. I heard all sorts of stories of how brave the soldiers were, how many Titans they killed,” he says, trying hard not to flick his gaze to his childhood hero. “Besides, even though they were sacrificing themselves and constantly in danger, they got to go _outside_ the Walls. That’s always been another dream of mine,” Eren says almost wistfully. “I hated the fact that we were trapped inside them like caged animals. We were born to this world, so why shouldn’t we be able to explore it for ourselves?” He sees something flash in Levi’s eyes, and the rest of his team mates nod knowingly.

“And even when we would come back from expeditions with so many dead?” Levi asks, and all of the members glance at their Captain before they look to Eren, who swallows nervously.

“Well, I… I knew that was to be expected. But I never gave up hope in the Survey Corps. In fact, I would get angry whenever I heard someone talking about how it was a waste of tax money and lives,” Eren chuckles. “But then I think Commander Erwin joined- well, he wasn’t a Commander at that point, that was Instructor Shadis- and I heard he implemented some plan, and then you joined, and-” Eren’s eyes go wide as he immediately clamps his mouth shut, and Levi’s expression gives nothing away while the rest of the squad chuckles.

“Ah, yes. We were still in the Cadet Corps when the scouting coordination was first used, and Commander Erwin wasn’t even a Commander then,” Eld says.

“And we were still cadets when Wall Maria fell,” Petra says quietly, “so we never got to go through Shiganshina before an expedition.”

“It was a nice place,” Eren and Levi say at the same time, and the brunet’s cheeks heat up when he meets his Captain’s eyes.

“... But anyway, I’ve always wanted to join, but it’s still not quite what I expected,” Eren finally continues. “I realized it when I was speaking with Squad Leader Hange the other night. I mean, I obviously haven’t met everyone, just you guys, Commander Erwin, and Squad Leaders Mike and Hange, but... Everyone I’ve met so far is a bit… strange?” He quickly glances at everyone’s expectant gaze and hurries to explain himself. “But none of that really matters, because you’re all striving for change- and that’s what the Survey Corps has been about all along!”

Eren watches his team mates nervously until Gunther grins and nods. “You’re absolutely right, Eren. I thought the same thing when I first joined.” The teen offers his teammate a small smile, and Petra beams at them before she gets up with her empty tray.

“Well, now that dinner’s done, we can all relax a bit before lights out!” she chirps. Eren blinks in awe at her.

“Oh, that’s right! I stayed up talking to Squad Leader Hange last night after dinner. What do you guys usually do before lights out?” he asks.

“Well, some of us read, sometimes we write to our families back home, some of us draw. Or we do gear maintenance. But usually, the four of us play card games together,” Petra explains. “Would you like to join us, Eren?”

“Oh, uh…” Eren glances at the Captain. “Do I have permission, Sir?”

Levi’s brows knit together as he finishes drinking his tea, and he sets his cup down with a sigh. “It’s fine by me if you’d like to stay up with the others. As capable as they are to keep an eye on you, it’s still my duty, though.” He opens his eyes to look over his soldiers. “I’ll join in on your card games if you have room for me.”

“Oh, no, Sir, I’m- you don’t have to stay awake if you don’t have to, Sir, I wouldn’t want to keep you from-”

“Relax, Eren,” Levi says calmly. “Just because you’re under our custody doesn’t mean you’re allowed to spend time relaxing with your teammates. Besides,” he sighs, “it’s not like going to bed earlier means I’d get more sleep.”

“... If you say so, Sir,” Eren murmurs lamely, but Petra offers him a friendly smile when he glances at her. “Thank you, Captain Levi.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Levi glances at the rest of his soldiers as he stands up. “You all know the rules, though. Your spare time doesn’t start until the dishes are cleaned, dried, and put away.”

“Yes, Sir,” everyone exclaims.

\---

Eren tries not to let the tears spill at the memory of the card game from one of the first nights he’d been inducted into the Survey Corps, but now that he’s alone, he finds it harder to keep them bottled up inside him.

He doesn’t have the luxury for very long, though, because soon the door to the kitchen swings open, and Levi comes limping in with two cups of tea.

“Oh, Captain, let me-” Eren starts, wincing at how rough his voice sounds from being on the verge of crying.

“No need. I’m injured, not crippled.” Levi’s tone is brusque as usual, but his face seems soft as he sets a cup down in front of Eren. “Here. Thought you’d like this.”

“Oh, yes… thank you, Sir.” Eren tries to offer a shy smile up at his Captain, and Levi just hums before he limps to his chair at the head of the table. The brunet watches out the corner of his eye as the Captain sits sideways in his chair with a wince, his left arm propped on the back of the chair as his right hand holds the cup by the rim. An awkward silence falls on them as Eren takes a tiny sip of his tea, enjoying the warmth of the cup spreading through his hands as the steam rises up to his face, the hot liquid relaxing his body. It’s tasty, as is all the tea prepared by Levi.

“Do you know how boring being on bed-rest is?” Levi finally murmurs, and Eren looks at him while he’s taking another sip of his tea. He sets the cup down to respond, but the Captain beats him to the punch. “I’m not even allowed to go out to the stables and groom my own damn horse.” He stops to take a sip of his tea, and Eren tries hard not to watch the Captain’s pale throat as he swallows. He’s still getting used to seeing Levi out of uniform, in a shirt that shows off his collarbones and the tiny amount of black hair that pokes out of the top. His eyes dart up back to Levi’s face when the Captain starts speaking again.

“And reading isn’t exactly the most riveting thing to do, either.”

Eren chuckles awkwardly. “You’re quite talkative today, Captain.”

“Don’t be silly. I’ve always been talkative.” Eren tilts his head to the side in confusion as Levi takes another sip of his tea, getting lost in thought once again as he watches the Captain drink. He frowns when Levi sets his cup down to grab at his injured leg with a wince, and he lowers his gaze to the table.

“I’m sorry… If I hadn’t screwed up that time, you wouldn’t be-”

“I’ve told you before,” Levi interjects. “No one knows how things will turn out.”

Eren nods, and he’s surprised when a tear rolls down his cheek, and before he knows it, he sniffles pathetically as he tries to wipe it away.

“Hm? Eren?” Levi asks, and Eren whimpers.

“I’m s-sorry, Captain, I- I know I shouldn’t be crying, but I c-can’t help it, i-it won’t stop!” Eren whines into his hands, and he hears Levi clear his throat awkwardly.

“... It’s fine. Let it out if you need to. It’s just like shit, you can’t hold it inside of you forever.” Levi’s crude language makes Eren choke on a chuckle before more tears leak out, and he starts when something soft hits him, looking down at the table to see a clean handkerchief.

“Might work better than your hands to clean it up,” Levi says, and Eren blinks at him before he sniffles again, dabbing the handkerchief at his eyes.

“Thank you, Sir.” Levi just nods awkwardly, and Eren bites his lip as the tears continue.

“I just… I can’t forget their faces… I keep seeing them  _die_ in my dreams each night. And I keep thinking that it’s all my fault…” He hates how his voice keeps cracking, and feels very self conscious of the snot that’s starting to run out of his nose. “And just now, I… I remembered when we first here in the castle all by ourselves, and when we ate and talked together and played that card game-”

“Eren,” Levi cuts in, and the brunet looks up to see the Captain staring at him. _He looks so… tired_ , Eren thinks, and Levi shifts in his seat as he clears his throat. “My advice is this: Try to think about the good memories more than the bad. I know it’s hard to not dream of that kind of shit, but I need you to understand that it’s _not_ your fault. They knew what their job was when I recruited them into my squad. Don’t think so little of their memories by thinking they died in vain. Their job was to protect you, and you’re still here, so they died fulfilling their duty.” Eren stares at the Captain until he silently turns his head to look at the floor, and more tears leak out of Eren’s eyes.

“I… o-okay, Sir. Thank you. I’m sorry for thinking like that, and I’ll try harder to remember the good memories from now on.”

“That’s the spirit.” Levi looks at Eren again, his eyes tired and his face worn with age. “They were good people, Eren. They thought very highly of you.”

“O-oh…” The words have Eren crying silently again, and he starts when Levi lifts himself from his seat and comes to place a gentle hand on Eren’s shoulder.

“Come on. It’s probably a good idea for you to sleep now. I’m sure you don’t like crying in front of others, so maybe you’ll feel better doing it in private.” Levi fixes him with an observant stare. “And you need your rest.”

Eren sniffles again. “Captain, I…” And then he can’t help himself. Levi is the only one who understands. He knew Petra and the others, albeit longer than Eren, and he’s seen people die before. He may not have any grief about it, but at least he had some good advice for Eren. So the teen wraps his arms tight around Levi’s waist, burying his face in his stomach- _holy shit it’s hard as a rock_ \- and starts crying again.

“Woah, Eren, what the-?”

“I miss them, Captain.” Eren’s shoulders shake as he sobs on Levi, his tears continuing to flow even when a warm hand starts to gently stroke his hair.

“I know, Eren. I do, too.”


	4. Beyond The Walls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> setting: sometime in the future where they've reclaimed Wall Maria and are able to explore beyond it once again. Not any of the current manga chapters. Has some references to the ACWNR manga and OVA

“Stop!” Levi calls out, and he turns his horse around to face the soldiers riding behind him. “We’ll set up camp here for the night. Dismount and start unpacking.”

“Yes, Sir!” everyone calls out, and they dismount their horses and start unpacking the supply carts.

“Wow,” Armin breathes out in awe. “It’s amazing that this is still in good condition even after it hasn’t been used for years.”

“Yep! Even before Wall Maria fell, this place was kept in remarkably good maintenance, even though it was in Titan territory. This was most likely because we came out here so often, but we can’t be for sure.”

“It’s so big,” Eren exclaims in wonder, and Levi glances at him before he stares at the castle again. He has memories of this place, some which he never wants to forget; no matter how painful they are to remember.

“Levi,” Hange calls out softly. “Do you remember when I first talked to you here?”

“How could I forget? You were blathering on about how we killed that Titan, and you said everyone wanted to know how we did it.” Levi falls silent as he keeps his gaze trained on the castle, his voice quiet when he speaks again. “And you gave her candy.”

“...Oh yeah, you’re right! I completely forgot about that,” Hange muses before they smile at Levi. “Anyway, it’s been awhile since we’ve set foot in this place, huh?”

“Yeah.” Levi sets his jaw firmly, and then he turns his head to find Eren looking at him carefully. His gaze softens, hoping that Eren understands he’ll explain to him later, and he’s thankful when the brunet nods his head understandingly, and they all start making their way into the castle to set up for spending the night.

\---

Once the sconces have been lit, the surfaces swept, the bedrolls laid out and the soldiers have eaten, everyone turns in for the night, weary from the day’s travel and ready to rest before they set out again tomorrow.

Levi sighs as lays down on his bed roll, off in a secluded corner with boxes surrounding him. He tries to ignore the thoughts of the first time he visited this castle by shutting his eyes, but soon enough, he hears someone settling down next to him.

“Sleepy already?” Eren asks from where he’s sitting on his own bedroll, and Levi opens his eyes to stare up at the brunet, positioning himself to lay his head in Eren’s lap. Eren hums happily as he starts threading his fingers through Levi’s hair, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to his forehead. “The weather was quite nice today.”

“If it rains,” Levi begins quietly as he opens his eyes to glare up at Eren, “don’t you _dare_ leave my sight.” Eren’s expression is shocked, and his face falls grave as he places a gentle hand above Levi’s heartbeat.

“You want to talk about it?” Levi gives the smallest of nods, breathing shallowly through his nose as he closes his eyes again.

“I told you about my first expedition, right?”

“Yes. About Isabel and Farlan, how it rained.”

“This was the castle we stayed at, the night before they…” Levi words catch in his throat, and he clears it before he speaks again. “It rained during the expedition. If it rains tomorrow, I don’t want you to leave my sight. I couldn’t…” He can’t bring himself to say the words, but his pain is apparent in his voice and expression, enough for Eren to read him.

His lips are gentle against Levi’s, his hand warm as he threads their fingers together. “I promise you, Levi. I won’t leave your side until we get back home, rain or shine. I’ll stay right by you every step of the way.”

Levi’s chest is tight as he lets out a slow exhale, and Eren’s hand squeezes his before it slides back up to start slowly and gently scratching his undercut, an action that always makes Levi calm down again.

“Thank you.”

“Of course.” Eren kisses his cheek as his hand moves down to squeeze Levi’s shoulder gently. “I’m here for you, Levi. Always.”

“I know.” Levi brings Eren’s hand to his lips, and Eren smiles sweetly at him as his thumb strokes his cheeks.

“Come on, then. Big day tomorrow, let’s at least lay down and try to get some sleep.”

Despite Levi’s racing thoughts, he still feels the safest he’s ever been when Eren’s arms keep him wrapped in a protective embrace, feeling the teen's heartbeat against his chest and the warm breath fanning over his skin.


	5. Developing Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> setting: during the events of episode 19 with Eren's Titan experiments
> 
> Once again, many thanks to [Hannah's](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Riren_Love/pseuds/Riren_Love) help on this chapter

“What are you planning to do now that your test subjects have been killed?” Erwin asks, and Hange seems to be on the verge of tears as they look up at the Commander.

“I… I don’t know.” Levi grimaces and awkwardly hands his friend a handkerchief. It’s rare that Hange gets so downtrodden, but whenever it does happen, Levi is only that much aware at how inept he is with handling emotions, especially other people’s. “I was hoping Eren would be able to participate, to see if we could gather intel on the similarities between his Titan and Sawney and Bean, or figure out what their differences were, but now…” Hange sighs miserably as they rake a hand through their hair, and Erwin hums in thought.

“Well, it’s still of the utmost importance that we gather more information on Eren’s Titan.” This time, both Levi and Hange glance at the Commander, who pins them with an unwavering stare. “I’ll let you two come up with the logistics of these experiments, but the sooner you start them, the better.” Levi bites the inside of his cheek in annoyance, but Hange nods slowly.

“Okay… I’m sure I can come up with something.”

“Good. I need to be on my way now. I’ll see you both after the induction ceremony.” And with that, Erwin gives them a nod and turns to walk into the building he’s currently working in. Hange stares after him, then turns around with a small sigh of defeat.

“Well, I guess there’s no reason for me to stay here in Trost tonight,” they exclaim as they stand up and wipe the dust off their pants. “You mind if my squad comes to set up house in the headquarters earlier than expected?”

“It’s like you said, there’s no reason for you to stay in Trost tonight. But I’m going to take my squad back now,” Levi says.

“Alrighty, we’ll catch up with you. See you later, Levi.” Hange gives him a sad wave of their before they trudge off to rejoin their squad, and Levi watches before he lets out a sigh.

_This is some deep shit_ , he thinks to himself as he goes to rejoin his squad, and Petra offers a friendly smile when she sees him, holding the reins of his horse out to him.

“I got her ready for you, Captain,” she explains, and Levi fights back the twinge of exasperation.

_Stop following me around like a puppy. I’m merely your Captain, I’m not good enough for you. There are others who would actually reciprocate your feelings_. But he doesn’t say anything, and instead takes the reins with a nod of his head. “Thank you.” He notices Oluo and Eren watching the exchange, the older soldier looking slighted that Petra hadn’t paid attention to him, and Eren’s expression curious and attentive, his head cocked to the side in wonder. Levi tries not to think of these things as he mounts his horse, and instead commands the attention of his soldiers.

“We’re going back to Headquarters now. Eren, no more than ten meters behind me, do you understand? The rest of you, flank him.”

“Sir!”

As they ride back, Levi begins to think of how they could safely experiment on Eren’s Titan form without harming the new recruit.

\---

The next morning after breakfast, Levi gathers everyone into the castle’s classroom. “I came up with an idea that will at least keep you barely alive,” he starts by explaining to Eren, and the brunet looks taken aback.

“I beg your pardon, Sir?” he asks, his brows furrowed, eyes wide and mouth hanging open in confusion.

“Earlier, I said the only way to stop you once you became a Titan was to kill you,” Levi reminds him as he steps up to the chalkboard to start sketching something. “But this way, you’ll survive with only severe injuries- depending on your own tolerance, of course.” He hears Oluo snicker behind him at his poor art skills, but Levi knows his example is clear, despite the fact that the figure isn’t anatomically correct or neat.

“Essentially, we’ll cut you out from the nape of the neck, flesh and all. In the process, we’ll slice off the ends of your limbs.” He pauses to glance over Eren, who is staring worriedly at his feet. “... But you’ll just grow them back like a lizard anyway, right? Gross.”

“W-wait a minute, Sir!” Eren starts. “I don’t know how to make them grow back! Isn’t there some other way?”

Levi’s eyes narrow at the brunet. “You’re saying you don’t want to take any risks or make any sacrifices?”

“I- no, I didn’t say that…” Levi’s brows only furrow closer together.

“Then man up. It’s a risk for us, as well. _You_ might kill _us_ , so relax.” He’s relieved when Eren nods.

“All right… I understand, Sir.”

“S-So, I can start experimenting, right?” Hange asks, and Levi turns his head to find his friend’s eyes wide and alert, hyper focused and the gears in their brain already turning.

“We can’t afford not to run tests, so yes, you’re good. Just try not to let him go rogue right off the bat,” Levi warns, and he’s not surprised when something flashes in Hange’s eyes.

“Oh, not to worry- I have a plan.”

\---

Afterwards, Hange orders their squad and Levi’s out to a well in the middle of the fields, and they set up a rope ladder so Eren can climb down into it.

“Are you ready, Eren?” Hange calls out. “When we’re done with the preparations, we’ll fire a signal flare. After that, it’s up to you.”

“Understood!” Eren exclaims.

Hange nods gleefully, and they step back to double check that everything is ready before they and Levi mount their horses. “Well, here goes nothing,” Hange says as they shoot the flare signal.

The seconds drag on, and Levi furrows his brows as Hange hums in confusion next to him. “Hmm… Maybe he didn’t see the signal?” they muse out loud, but Levi shakes his head.

“No,” he murmurs. “There are no guarantees to what we’re doing.” Gritting his teeth in frustration, he urges his horse forward to the well and dismounts with an irritated huff.

“Oi, Eren! We’re canceling the test!”  
“Is something wrong?” Hange inquires as they come up to peer over the rim of the well, and both of the soldier’s eyes widen when they behold the sight of a bloodied Eren, his wide eyes brimming with tears as his voice cracks in frustration.

“S-Squad Leader Hange, I… I can’t turn into a Titan…”

They immediately get to pulling Eren up out of the well, and Hange treats the bleeding bite wounds on Eren’s hands before they awkwardly declare a lunch break. Levi stands as his squad sits at a table, scowling into his cup of tea before he glances over to see Eren staring miserably at his hands.

“Not even the bite wounds on your hands have gone away?” he grits out, watching as Eren nervously wrings his hands.

“... N-no, Sir,” he whispers. Levi’s scowl deepens.

“If you can’t turn into a Titan, your great deed of sealing Wall Maria will mean jack shit.” Eren winces as he continues staring at his hands, and Levi’s fists clench tightly together for a second.

“I’m giving you an order. Do something about it.” He turns on his heels, hearing Eren whisper another ‘Yes, Sir’ behind him as he tries to swallow his frustration by taking a considerate gulp of his tea.

He can hear Gunther, Eld and Oluo reassure Eren as Petra comes up to talk to him, but his thoughts are elsewhere. _This is a mess_ , he thinks. All that talk during the tribunal about how Eren would be a benefit to humanity, and now this?

He knows that the upcoming expedition won’t be to Wall Maria- not anymore, not after what happened to Sawney and Bean. When Erwin had asked him who he thought the enemy was, he only needed to think for a few seconds before he answered. Erwin had seemed pleased, told him to keep Eren _safe_ , and that he’d update Levi about the expedition when he put further thought into it.

But still, even if the kid can’t turn into a Titan anymore, then the plans for the current expedition might just as well be futile. Hundreds of soldiers could die, and Eren would be shipped off to the Military Police and killed.

And then there would be absolutely no hope to sealing up the hole in Wall Maria, no hope to getting to the basement, no hope of finding out the secrets of the Titans and getting rid of them. There would be no hope of getting out of these godforsaken Walls once and for all, to take back the world they were born to, to breathe in the fresh air of freedom.

All of a sudden, a deafening _crack!_ thunders over the area, and a hot gust of wind immediately starts whipping past Levi. He nearly chokes on his tea and drops his cup, and when he turns around, the steam is too thick and hazy to clearly see through, but…

_Shit._

At once, Gunther, Oluo and Eld clamber to their feet, and Petra rushes to join them as they draw their swords on Eren’s back. Levi knows he has to act _fast_ , and he darts in between them and Eren before they can advance on the teen.

Eren grunts out in surprise, oblivious to the imminent threat behind him. “Why now?” he cries out, and Oluo steps forward with a growl.

“Calm down,” Levi orders, but Eren thinks it’s directed to him.

“Captain Levi, I’m-” Eren lets out a terrified gasp, and Levi reiterates himself.

“I said to _calm down_. All of you.’’

“Eren, what just happened?” Eld asks angrily, cutting Eren off when he tries to beg for him to listen. “Why did you do it without permission? Answer me!”

“I said calm down, Eld,” Levi chides, but Oluo cuts in.

“Answer him, Eren! Explain yourself!”

“Leave it! Explanations can come later,” Gunther barks out as he advances to Eren. “First thing’s first, you need to prove you aren’t hostile towards us like your life depends on it!” Eren blinks in shock, wincing when Gunther yells again. “Prove it or we kill you! You bear that responsibility!”

“If you so much as _twitch_ that arm of yours, your head’s comin’ right off!” Oluo declares. “This is the first and only warning you’ll receive! I’ll do it, too! I really will! Just try me!”

“Oluo! How many times do I have to say it?” Levi barks back.

“Captain, I need you to step away from Eren! You’re too close!” Petra pleads, and Levi turns to glare at her.

“No, _you’re_ the ones who need to get away. Step back!” he orders again, but Petra fights right back.

“Sir, why on earth-?”

“A gut feeling,” Levi explains, and he’s right- he’s always relied on his instincts, it’s how he survived years in the Underground, how he’s still alive after so many expeditions. He was finally able to trust Eren in the jail cell, during the tribunal- even now. He knows Eren wasn’t bluffing when he didn’t transform in the well, and he knows that this transformation just now was an accident.

But his soldiers are still having none of that.

“What’s the deal, Eren? Say something!” Eld demands.

“Don’t try anything funny!” Oluo barks.

“Prove you’re not hostile!” Gunther snaps, and their voices fall into a cacophonous chaos until Eren finally snaps.

“Will you guys please just be quiet?” he cries out, catching everyone off guard as Levi observes him carefully, sighing when Hange comes rushing into the clearing. At least they won’t think Eren is a hostile threat. They push Gunther and Eld out of the way, prattling away as they ask questions about if the arm is hot and if they can see where it’s fused, and Levi watches as realization dawns on Eren’s face.

“Oh, wait…” The brunet starts tugging with all of his might, and Oluo steps forward with his blades still drawn.

“Are you ignoring me? Don’t try anything stupid!” Levi watches as the raw Titan’s flesh finally rips away from the skin of Eren’s hand, and the teen goes tumbling backwards off the thing, right in front of Levi. Hange sounds distressed as the Titan form starts steaming, but Levi ignores his comrade as he calmly steps forward to evaluate Eren.

The teen is panting, a sheen of sweat coating his skin, his hair plastered to his forehead, and Levi feels sorry for the kid as he gazes up at him with tired eyes. “I’m s-sorry, Captain…”

“How are you feeling?” Levi asks instead. Eren winces, and his gaze drops to the ground.

“Not… very… good…” he manages, and then Levi is catching him before the teen can fall flat on his face.

Petra steps forward once more with her blades still drawn, and Levi turns to glare at her. “Step. Back. _Now_.” Her expression looks remorseful as she slowly lowers her blades and steps back, clearly distraught over how she just treated Eren, and Levi turns to Hange.

“Hange, help me take Eren inside. Get Moblit to collect whatever you need. We’re done for the day.”

“Eh?” When Hange sees the look on Levi’s face and the way he’s holding the unconscious teen, they nod understandingly. “Oh, right, of course. Wouldn’t do to have Eren out here in this condition.” Some of their soldiers bring a stretcher forward, and Levi orders his soldiers back to the mess hall while he and Hange carry Eren to his cell in the basement.

Levi is reluctant to leave the teen, but he needs to talk to his soldiers, so he orders someone from Hange’s squad to watch over the boy before he goes upstairs to meet with his squad. As soon as he enters the room, they sheepishly lower their heads.

“Captain, we’re-”

“I understand you don’t implicitly trust Eren. That’s the reason I chose you for this squad in the first place,” Levi cuts Petra off as he shoots them all a stern glare. “You’re all strong soldiers, and you’ve survived enough expeditions to trust your instincts, to know when a situation is dangerous and when it’s safe, to react quickly and to make tough decisions. But,” he adds as he furrows his brows, “your _top_ priority now is to _protect_ Eren. Do you understand what would have happened if _any_ of you had attacked him?” All of their heads are lowered, and silence envelopes them until Levi slaps his hands down on the table, commanding them to look up at him.

“You would have possibly _killed_ the last and only hope humanity has. That means no retaking Wall Maria, no finding out what’s in that damn basement, no figuring out what Titans really are and how to get rid of them. That means no freedom outside these walls.” All of their faces are stricken with remorse, and Levi heaves a deep sigh.

“But, I know you all aren’t cold and heartless. I’ve seen the way you’ve interacted with Eren over the past couple of days- you were friendly, just like you are to any new recruit. So I know you didn’t feel nothing when you had your blades pointed at him. You were relying on your instincts- something that has kept you alive ever since you joined the Survey Corps.”

Silence hangs heavy over them until they realize Levi is done talking, and Petra raises her eyes up to Levi’s. “Captain, we’re… we’re sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize to me,” Levi corrects her. “I know you are. I can see it on your faces. The person you really need to apologize to is Eren. If he’s going to stay in this squad, fight with the Survey Corps and help humanity, he needs to be able to _trust_ you.”

They all nod their heads in understanding, then Petra looks up to Levi again. “When-?”

“Not now, obviously. When he wakes up. But I’m going to speak with him first. I’ll call you when he’s awake.” Levi’s gaze flicks observantly over each of them. “You are dismissed.” He turns on his heels and heads back down the stairs, relieving Hange’s soldier of their duty as he sits in a chair and watches Eren sleep.

It’s not until an hour before dinner that Eren finally jolts himself awake with a start, looking around the room in a confused daze before he sees Levi.

“Captain, I-!”

“Relax, Eren. After you accidental transformation, you passed out. Hange and I brought you back to the castle so you would be safe as you rested.” Immediately, Eren’s gaze drops to his lap.

“I’m… I’m sorry, Captain. I still don’t know how that happened, and I shouldn’t have passed out like that.”

“It’s fine. I doubt we would have run anymore experiments today after the mishap, anyway.” Levi gets up from his seat and opens the cell door, turning to look over his head at Eren. “Well, are you getting up, or what?”

Eren blushes. “Oh, sorry, Sir… do you mind if I freshen up a bit, first? I mean, transforming into a Titan is sweaty work, and I got dirty when I fell on the ground, so-”

“Please do,” Levi cuts him off, grimacing at how rudely he interrupted Eren. “I’ll be waiting out here.”

“Oh… thank you, Sir.”

“Try not to take too long.” Levi closes the door and settles back against the wall as he listens to Eren drink some water, wipe his clothes off and clean up a bit with the help of the wash basin. When he emerges from the cell with freshly combed hair, Levi nods towards the steps. “Have a seat.” Eren does so, and there’s a brief silence before the teen starts talking.

“Until they actually turned hostile, I never realized how little they trust me...”

“Of course they don’t. That’s why I picked them.” Eren looks startled by that, and Levi continues to explain. “The common belief is that the first time you come back alive from an expedition, you’re a bonafide Survey Corps soldier. But up against Titans, there’s never enough information. There are always too many unknowns and uncertainties- in which case, you need to be able to act quickly and make tough decisions based on the worst case scenario.” Eren lowers his head, and Levi glances at him.

“But that doesn’t mean they’re cold and heartless. Pointing their blades at you like that, they couldn’t have felt nothing.”

At that moment, Moblit descends the steps and calls out to them that Hange would like a word with them, and Levi pushes himself off the wall with a sigh.

“Were you taking a long crap?” he asks as soon as he enters the room, pleased to see that his squad is gathered there.

“Nope, it was a quick and pleasant one! I just got stuck explaining things to the top brass. But anyway,” they divert as they pull out a handkerchief and lay it on the table to reveal a teaspoon, “take a look at this.”

“A… a teaspoon?” Eren says, his brows furrowed together in confusion.

“Yep. The Titan hand you created was holding this, between the index finger and the thumb, like so.” Hange demonstrates, but Eren is still visibly confused, so the Squad Leader continues explaining. “It’s hard to believe it was a mere coincidence. And for some reason, there’s no deformation from heat or pressure. Can you think of a reason why that is?”

Eren frowns at the table, then looks back up at Hange. “I believe I was trying to pick that spoon up when I transformed...”

Hange’s face splits into an amused grin that’s directed at the spoon. “ I see. Then that could explain why you weren’t able to turn into a Titan before.” Eren’s eyes widen with realization as Hange continues speaking.

“‘Kill the Titans’. ‘Defend against the cannon’. ‘Lift the boulder’. In every instance, you had a clear goal before you transformed.” Eren’s mouth drops into an ‘o’.

“It’s likely that self-injury isn’t the trigger on it’s own; you need some sort of objective as well.”

Eren blinks, then raises his hand to stare at it. “It’s true that this is similar to when I defended against the cannon, but still… Turning into a Titan to pick up a spoon? What the hell’s up with that?”

There’s a brief pause, then Gunther raises his gaze from the table to look at Eren. “So basically, you didn’t act against orders on purpose, right?”

“That’s right,” Eren nods, and Levi watches as Gunther heaves a deep sigh, then nods with his teammates before they each raise one of their own fists to sink their teeth into it. Eren lets out a concerned gasp.

“Wait, what are you doing?!”

“Ouch, this is tough… I’m surprised you can bite yourself like that, Eren,” Eld says.

“It was the wrong call on our part. This is our modest way of apologizing,” Gunther explains. “Not that it really makes a difference, though.” Levi watches as Eren reels back with a small gasp of shock.

“Our job is to keep you in check, after all!” Oluo exclaims. “We made no mistakes about that! So don’t get too cocky, brat!”

“I’m sorry, Eren,” Petra apologizes. “We were too on edge. You must be upset by our indiscretion. But, despite that, as we rely on you, we also want you to rely on us.” Levi watches as his soldiers gaze at Eren expectantly until the teen draws his shoulders together sheepishly.

“I… I will. I’m sorry for alarming you today, but I thank you for apologizing.” He offers his teammates a small smile, and Hange claps their hands with a grin.

“Well, that settles it! Eren, I look forward to conducting more experiments with you, starting tomorrow! But for now, let’s eat!”

\---

After dinner and free time is over, Levi escorts Eren back to his cell, a question burning in the back of his mind.

“Eren,” he asks once they’re out of everyone’s earshot, “I need to know. Do you trust your teammates?”

“Huh?” Eren asks, glancing at his Captain. His gaze drops back down to the floor when Levi’s expectant one meets his, and Levi watches as the teen gnaws his bottom lip nervously.

“... Yes, I do.” He meets Levi’s gaze once again. “I understand now that today’s incident was an alarming one for them, and they acted according to their instincts. If I were in their shoes, I would have done the same thing. I’m aware now that they don’t fully trust me, but they also don’t see me as a total monster. They felt remorse over their actions, and apologized for it.” Eren smiles softly at his Captain, and Levi sighs.

“Good.”

“And… what about you, Captain?” The question catches Levi off guard, and the Captain looks to find Eren biting his lip nervously again. “Do you trust me?” he asks, his eyes hopeful but also… afraid.

_I want to trust you._

No. _I_ do _trust you._

“... Yes.” The way Eren’s eyes widen and then shine at that is wonderful to see. “I trusted you when Erwin and I first talked to you. I trusted that when you were in the well, it wasn’t deliberate that you weren’t transforming. And when you did transform…” Levi makes sure Eren’s gaze is locked with his, “I trusted you that it wasn’t intentional.”

Eren looks relieved as a small, nervous grin paints his features, and Levi feels lighthearted, for some reason.

“I… thank you, Captain. That really means a lot to me.” Levi just nods awkwardly as he closes and locks the cell door behind Eren, furrowing his brows in confusion when the teen still stands in front of him.

“What is it, Eren?”

The teen doesn’t answer for a moment, but then he looks up from the floor with another small smile.

“I trust you too, Captain.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, this prompt is a day late. My apologies. I'll see if I can get Day 6 up in time for today


	6. Monsters and Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The voice in Levi's head is neither unfamiliar nor friendly.
> 
> It constantly reminds him of what a monster he is.
> 
> Only now, there is someone who is just as monstrous, if not more so, than Levi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> setting: during and after the events of episode 22
> 
> Once again, many thanks to [Hannah's](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Riren_Love/pseuds/Riren_Love) help on this chapter

As soon as Levi makes it out of the forest, his eyes dart around looking for a supply wagon, and he flies down to one once he spots it.

“Get a Medical Officer over here, now!” he barks out, and a soldier rushes off to find one as he lays Eren down gently in the cart. Mikasa swings down onto the ground next to him.

“Eren,” she murmurs worriedly, and Levi reluctantly looks down at her.

“I’m putting you in charge of looking out for him.”

“Yes, Sir.” She immediately clambers up into the cart as a Medical Officer comes rushing over, and Levi bites through the pain in his leg as he swings off to find his horse.

_You're a monster._

\---

The air hangs heavy with the somber mood of the soldiers as they ride back to the walls, their spirits worn down with defeat.

Levi’s leg is screaming in agony every time his horse’s hooves makes contact with the ground, the force jolting through the stirrups, and he can barely squeeze and push his legs to guide his horse on. Once they’ve gotten a safe distance from the Titan infested forest, Erwin commands a halt, ordering scouts to go retrieve as many of their fallen comrades as safely possible.

As much as he doesn’t want to dismount and walk on his injured leg, Levi can’t sit idly by while everyone else works, so he slides to the ground as gently as he can. He’s feeding his horse when the scouts come back with the first wave of bodies, and Levi catches a familiar glimpse of strawberry blonde hair.

_Monster._

Gritting his teeth, he makes his way over as best as he can, hoping that nobody sees the slight limp and questions him. As he gets closer, he sees the scar of the bite mark on the pad of the thumb, and the churning of guilt in his gut only intensifies.

_I’m sorry_.

This isn’t his first soldier to die under his command, but it is the first time his entire squad has died at once. He realizes this as he starts to tug at the emblem on the breast pocket.

If anyone notices him, they don’t comment about it. The Captain has his ways of remembering the fallen, just as everyone else does.

Just as he finishes, he hears a commotion behind him.

“I refuse to accept this, Commander!” Levi whips his head around to find a young soldier with shaggy blond hair- Dieter, if he remembers correctly- pleading with the Commander. “ We should recover them! Ivan’s body was right in front of us!”

“There was a Titan right next to him! We’d just end up losing someone else!”

“If they attack us, we can just take them out!” Dieter declares, and his friend Jurgen turns to Erwin.

“Ivan and I are childhood friends from the same village! I know his parents! If nothing else, I’d at least like to bring him home!”

“Quarreling children?” Levi finally grits out, and everyone turns to stare at him as he narrows his eyes. “If you confirmed he’s dead, that’s enough. Whether or not you have a body, dead is dead. It doesn’t change a thing.” The surprise is apparent on Jurgen and Dieter’s face.

“We’ll say Ivan and the others are missing. That’s my decision. Leave it at that.” Erwin’s tone is authoritative, and Levi starts to follow after him as the Commander walks away. The words that are thrown at their backs are not new to their ears.

“D-don’t… Don’t either of you possess any human feelings at all?!?” Dieter screams out, and Levi’s fists clench tightly together.

_Monster._

_\---_

It’s not long before he’s back on his horse and riding again, and when he hears a flare go off behind him, he growls in annoyance.

“Full speed ahead!” Erwin orders, and Levi turns to look at him sourly.

“I don’t see any tall trees or buildings. It will be difficult to fight out here,” he reminds Erwin.

“We’re better off trying to outrun them to the Walls,” Erwin explains, and Levi grimaces as the Commander speeds off ahead of him. There’s absolutely no way he’d be able to fight safely like this, not right now.

“They’re going to catch us!” One soldier cries out from the supply cart from behind Levi.

“I’ll circle behind them!” the other one exclaims. “When I draw their attention, you-”

“No,” Levi snaps, catching the soldier’s attentions. “Just abandon the corpses. Otherwise they’ll catch us.” One of the soldiers starts to protest, but Levi cuts him off.

“On past expeditions, dozens of bodies never made it back. These guys will be no different.”

One of them looks like they’re actually considering it, but his friend calls out to him in desperation. Levi lets out a hiss through clenched teeth, grasping his leg as another jolt of pain shoots up through the limb. “Damn it…”

Finally, the soldier finds his resolve. “We have no choice!”

Levi watches as each body goes flying out of the cart one by one, the gut churning in his stomach again as the shroud unwraps itself to reveal Petra’s bloody face.

_I’m sorry._

_I know I’m a monster._

Erwin commands them to another halt once they’re a safe distance away to ascertain their location, and Levi wanders about on his horse until he finds Dieter in shellshock, staring at the ground in front of him numbly until Levi dismounts. “Captian Levi…”

Levi merely pulls Petra’s emblem out of his breast pocket, fixing Dieter with a stern glare until he speaks.

“This proves that they were alive- to me, at least.” He shoves the emblem into Dieter’s hands, and the soldier gasps in surprise when he sees it.

“This was Ivan’s,” Levi continues, a wicked voice in the back of his head cackling at the lie. But he ignores it as tears start to well up in Dieter’s eyes.

Levi looks away as something itches in his own eyes.

_Not yet,_ he thinks. _Not right now. Later. Shove it down and lock it up. You don't deserve this because you're a_ monster.

He knows he’ll be too numb and tired to do anything when he gets back, though, and he shoves his thoughts past the anguish to mount his horse, relishing in the screaming agony of his leg instead- at least he thinks he deserves it.

\---

When he’s trying his best not to limp in front of the civilians in Karanese, an old man makes his way up to him holding a letter, politely introducing himself as Petra’s father. As soon as Levi hears the name, he clenches the reins tighter in his fist.

When the man says that he thinks it’s too early for his daughter to marry, though, Levi’s nails dig into his palms until they hurt, and he bites down on the inside of his cheek until blood rushes into his mouth. Petra’s father doesn’t notice.

 “Well, that’s all I wanted to say! Thank you for listening, Captain, and once again, thank you for accepting her into your squad!” The father gets lost in the crowd as he looks for his daughter, and Levi hears the desperation creeping into the man’s voice as he calls out for Petra, asking other soldiers where she is, is she in the back, is she hurt?

Levi swallows back bile when he hears the man’s broken wail.

_Monster._

\---

Dinnertime is a sober event when they finally make it back to headquarters, and Levi forces himself to eat his food before he deposits his tray and heads downstairs to where Eren is sitting in his cell under supervision. Levi’s shoulders sag tiredly when he hears the kid trying to contain his sniffles.

“I’ll take over. You’re dismissed,” Levi tells the soldier, and they look grateful to be relieved to be of their duty, their eyes rimmed red with holding back their own tears. When they’re out of earshot, Levi sighs and unlocks the door, sitting down gently at the foot of Eren’s bed. “Eren,” he calls out quietly, and the teen sniffles again. “It’s okay. Feel free to cry.”

The teen briefly looks at him, then he starts bawling, his chest heaving with broken sobs as his voice cracks with the raw anguish. “C-Captain, I-I’m s-so s-s-sorry, I-”

“Shush,” Levi says tiredly, wincing when Eren falls into his arms to sob on his shoulder, and the Captain awkwardly pats his back, reaching into his pocket for a handkerchief.

“Here,” he says, sighing when Eren is too lost in his grief to hear him, so he gently starts dabbing away at the tear tracks on the teen’s cheeks.

“I’m-m a m-monster, Captain,” Eren chokes, and Levi immediately stills.

He recognises Eren is a monster. He recognised it in the jail cell when Eren vehemently declared he wanted to join the Survey Corps and slaughter Titans.

He knew he had to show that he could tame the monster during the tribunal, knew Eren wasn’t a monster because he could shift into a Titan- he had come from a loving family but killed two grown men when he was only nine, and apparently was not traumatised by it.

But he’s still never treated Eren as a monster. He’s asked him how he felt, referred to him by his first name, and even though Eren is under supervision in the cell in the basement each night, he’s never been in chains.

And that’s because Levi has come to realize that there is more to Eren than being a monster.

He knows that the decision Eren made in the forest today was made because Eren is a monster, which is why he told him to make his own decision, rather than ordered him to do something.

He had been surprised when Eren declared he would trust the others, rather than unleash his monstrous nature.

He had known that Eren would feel regret about his actions when he rescued him from the Female Titan’s form.

He knows that even though Eren is a monster, he still longs to be accepted by others.

And Levi will accept him.

“... Maybe you are a monster,” he says solemnly, and he feels Eren freeze in his arms, but Levi pulls back to look at the teen’s face. “Maybe your friends think of you as one, but have known you long enough to overlook this with the times you’ve acted ‘normal’. The government definitely thinks you’re a monster. Erwin certainly seems to see your monstrosity as a benefit to humanity.” Eren whimpers miserably, and Levi cocks his head to the side as he continues to observe the teen.

“... You know, all of us have to turn into monsters to kill Titans. To throw our humanity away and order people to their deaths.” He knows Eren is aware of what the general public calls Erwin and other leaders of the Survey Corps- heartless bastards intent on throwing away human lives as if they were nothing. Levi absentmindedly dabs away at Eren’s face with the handkerchief.

“But that pales in comparison to your true nature. Other people may try to say you have other sides to being a monster, but I don’t think so. And you know what?” Levi stops, and Eren bites his lip nervously as he waits for the Captain to speak again.

“... I accept you for who you truly are. You… you can just be a monster.”

Eren swallows thickly and buries his face in Levi’s shoulder with a silent, grateful sob.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again, I know this one is late. My apologies


	7. Wings of Freedom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here it is, the last day of Canonverse Levi/Eren Week. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed.
> 
> setting: in the future, after they recaptured Wall Maria

Levi sighs and adjusts his arms behind him, staring up at the ceiling of the tent as he silently pleads for sleep to come to him. The Survey Corps has a huge day ahead of them tomorrow, but apparently his mind doesn’t care enough to just stop thinking and relax.

He glances to the side when he hears a twig snap outside of his tent, and Levi thinks the perpetrator is doing a lousy job of freezing up in the hopes that he didn’t hear him.

At least he has an idea of who it is.

“Eren,” he says wearily, “what are you doing?”

“Sorry, Sir,” Eren whispers, sounding almost mortified for being caught. “I had to relieve myself.”

“Fair enough,” Levi says as he closes his eyes drowsily. He expects Eren to creep off to his own tent, but when he hears the boy swallow nervously, he opens his eyes again. “What is it, Eren?”

“Ah, I’m sorry, Levi, I was just… I was wondering if I should ask you if I could join you?” He sounds hesitant, and Levi feels some weight roll off his shoulders at the prospect of at least passing the otherwise boring night by talking to Eren. So he sits up and unfastens the hook to the flaps of the tent, pushing one out of the way to find a nervous but surprised looking Eren bathed in the pale moonlight, and Levi’s breath catches in his throat.

He’s once again reminded of how beautiful Eren is, how strong and spirited and young he is, and he wonders to himself what he’s ever done to deserve this boy.

He swallows back these thoughts and instead arches a brow at him. “Well, are you going to come in, or just stand out there all night?”

Eren blinks, but a small smile graces his features as he climbs in, and Levi fastens the hook before he turns to look at boy, who is still beaming sweetly at him. He’s taken aback when Eren leans forward to press a soft kiss against his lips.

“Sorry. I just felt like doing that,” Eren admits, and Levi brushes it off.

“It’s fine.” He knows how affectionate Eren can be whenever he has the chance, and since they hadn’t had a chance to kiss since this morning, he knows the brunet must be feeling a bit touch deprived. So Levi plants another chaste kiss on Eren’s lips, then lays down with his head in the teen’s lap with a yawn. “Were the others in your tent keeping you awake or something?”

“You know Jean,” Eren says with a snort. “I’m surprised everyone in the tent could sleep with his snoring. Connie kept kicking in his sleep, and Armin must have been cold because he was plastered right up next to me… It’s actually _really_ hot tonight,” he grumbles, and before Levi knows it, Eren is shedding his shirt off, heaving a relieved sigh as the cool air caresses his skin. “Ah, much better.”

“You’re weird,” Levi deadpans as he reaches up to tug gently on a strand of hair, but his words hold no venom. He really shouldn’t be surprised that Eren wouldn’t find tonight cold, not with the fact that he’s always overheating.

“I don’t see how you can wear a long sleeved shirt right now,” Eren shoots back, plucking at Levi’s sleeve. “But if you really are so cold, I’m here to keep you warm now.”

“This right here is fine,” Levi shrugs. “Besides, wouldn’t want to accidentally overheat you.” Eren smiles down softly at him as he starts to run a hand through the black locks, and Levi sighs contentedly.

“... Are you ready for tomorrow?” Eren asks softly, and Levi opens his eyes to look up at the teen.

“... As ready as I’ll ever be,” Levi finally shrugs. It’s a heady feeling, knowing they’re finally going to go out past Wall Maria tomorrow, to be able to smell real, untainted fresh air for the first time in five years. Levi idly traces his thumb along Eren’s hand that’s resting on his chest. “How about you?” he asks, and he can feel Eren’s shoulders shrug in a sigh above him.

“I… I don’t know. It will be the first time I’ve actually gone outside into the real world,” Eren says softly. All of a sudden he’s moving, and Levi lets the teen readjust himself so he’s laying on his stomach on top of Levi, his wide eyes peering into Levi’s as he props his chin on his forearms.

“Tell me about it, please,” he whispers, and Levi starts idly tracing his fingers along the teen’s broad back, feeling the heat of his skin radiate into his fingertips.

He remembers how when they had made love the previous night, Levi’s nails had dug into the flesh on that back, how they were still visible after they were done and just idly touching each other.

Ever since the first time Eren had told him they reminded him of wings- more specifically, personalized wings of freedom- they had reminded Levi of them, too.

He thinks of this now before he looks Eren in the eyes again.

“Of course.”  
\---

Their second day outside of Wall Maria, Eren nearly steps on a grounded bird.

“Armin, look!” he exclaims, and the blond comes over to look.

“Oh my god, it’s a sparrow,” he says, examining it closely. “Looks like his wing is broken.”

“What are you all looking at?” Hange asks as they stride over, and they gasp as they see the bird. “Oh, goodness...”

“Can we help him, Hange?” Eren asks with hope in his eyes, and Hange looks at the bird sadly.

“Well… Maybe...”

“What’s going on over here?” Levi mutters as he walks over, his eyes widening as his gaze falls on the bird.

“Can we keep him, Levi?” Eren asks, and Levi’s chest aches at how desperate the boy looks to save this bird.

“... Eren, you know we can’t. We have more important things to worry about than caring for an inj-”

“We can’t just _leave_ him, Levi!” Eren declares passionately, standing up to tower over the Captain. “He’s hurt, we have to help him!”

Levi tries to hold an unwavering stoic gaze with Eren’s glare, but his resolve crumples when Eren won’t relent, and he looks to Hange.

“Do you know how to repair a wing? And do you know how long it will take?”

“Sure do,” Hange nods. “And it should take at least two weeks.”

Levi sighs irritably. That means the bird won’t be able to be released until they’re going back to Wall Maria. But the determined glare Eren shoots him only makes Levi shrug in defeat.

“Okay, fine. But he’s _your_ responsibility,” he tells Eren, sighing once more when the teen’s face brightens up.

He later regrets accepting to take care of the bird and ordering Eren to take care of it, because the teen carries the thing everywhere with him, and ends up getting kicked out of his tent for it.

Usually, Levi wouldn’t complain about Eren getting kicked out of his tent and coming to sleep in his, but the bird proves to be distracting when he’s trying to make love to the brunet, or trying to sleep.

_“Eren_ ,” he grouses one night when Eren breaks away from kissing to feed the bird, “just how much longer are you going to be taking care of that thing?”

“Until it’s better,” Eren declares matter-of-factly. “Which should only be a few more days,” he says when he hears Levi growl irritably behind him. He snickers when he climbs back under the blanket with Levi, nuzzling his nose in the older man’s neck. “Are you telling me you’re jealous over a little bird, _darling_?”

“I’m definitely not going to miss him when he’s healed enough to be released,” Levi grumbles, and Eren chuckles before he silences him with a kiss.

\---

When the bird is fully healed enough to be released, it turns out Levi does miss the thing.

“Say bye-bye to Levi, Speckles!” Eren says as he brings the bird over cupped in his hands. Levi’s nose wrinkles at that.

“You named him?” he asks incredulously, and Eren grins.

“Of course I did! I couldn’t just keep calling him ‘it’, ‘him’, or ‘bird’.”

“I see,” Levi merely says, watching Eren as the teen smiles down at the bird.

“You be careful now, okay? I had fun taking care of you.” The bird cheeps at Eren, and the teen makes a noise in the back of his throat before he sniffles and lifts his hand up.

“Go on,” he whispers, and the bird cocks his head before he hops onto the the edge of Eren’s hands, gives an experimental stretch of his wings, and then he takes off.

During the whole time Eren had taken care of the bird, memories of Isabel and Farlan healing another bird had been at the forefront of Levi’s mind, and he’s remembering now when they had released their bird until he hears Eren sniffle next to him.

“Hey, now,” he says tenderly as he wraps an arm around Eren’s shoulders to hug him. “What’s all this about?”

“I already miss him,” Eren sniffles, and a chuckle tugs at the corners of Levi’s lips as he ruffles Eren’s hair.

“It is awfully peaceful and quiet without him, now,” he jokes, but his grin fades away when Eren just smiles sadly, and he gently cups the brunet’s chin. “Hey. Look at me, Eren.” The teen’s eyes are watery, and Levi sighs before he starts speaking again.

“Those wings are his freedom. When they were broken, he was doomed to losing his freedom, the ability to find food, to flee from predators. But then you came along, nursed him back to health, and gave him his wings and freedom back.”

_Just like you did for Humanity_ , Levi thinks to himself. _Like you did for me_.

He doesn’t say this, but his words seem to bring a small smile to Eren’s lips.

“Yeah… Yeah, I guess that’s one way to look at it.” Eren sighs as he looks up at the sky. “I’m glad that I did help him.”  
Levi hums beside him, and they fall silent as they watch the sky, then Eren’s hand finds Levi’s.

“You know, Levi,” Eren starts, “even if we can’t actually fly, I think you gave me wings. Wings to help me be free.” Levi swallows thickly, as he always does when Eren goes sappy and symbolic on him, because he has trouble telling Eren he feels the same.

“I know, Eren,” he says instead, and Eren smiles softly at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm not quite sure what I'm going to be working on next, other than CAGYL and a secret oneshot, but today is the start of YumiKuri Week, today marks the second week of JeanMarKasa Month, Eren Week starts about two weeks from now, and bottom!Marco Week starts immediately after that. Ideally, I would like to participate in all of these, but that may not be the case- I'd have to see where I can delegate time to work on each project, along with giving myself time to relax and focusing on school. But just stay tuned, and we'll see what my next thing is! Thank you <3


End file.
